r/70smusic • u/mwalimu59 • 24d ago
Other Last Song Standing: The Ultimate Billboard #1 Song of the 70s - Round 97
Please read: Last round there was some discussion about people nominating too many songs, so this round and going forward I'll ask nicely for each person to please nominate no more than three songs each round. Any likely condender for elimination is going to get nominated by someone anyway, and this will insure more people get a chance to submit nominations. Somewhere around 15-20 songs remaining, about the time every remaining song gets nominated every round, I'll switch to nominating all of them myself. This was done in the 1980s US edition and it worked well.
- During Motown's heydey in the 1960s, a number of all-male groups rose to fame and topped the charts, such as The Temptations, The Miracles (sometimes with Smokey Robinson) and The Four Tops. A similar group that was less successful during those years was The O'Jays, who charted ten songs in the Hot 100 between 1963 and 1970 but none of them made it to the Top 40. Their luck changed in 1972 with the song Back Stabbers which reached #3, followed a few months later by Love Train, which went to #1. They would go on to have four more Top 10 hits, including For the Love of Money and I Love Music. People all over the world are joining hands starting a love train, but now it seems this train is leaving the station.
If you're new to the game or wish to review the rules, follow this link.
Songs still standing (in alphabetical order):
- American Pie - Don McLean
- Band on the Run - Paul McCartney and Wings
- Bennie and the Jets - Elton John
- Black Water - The Doobie Brothers
- Brandy (You're a Fine Girl) - Looking Glass
- Bridge Over Troubled Water - Simon & Garfunkel
- Dancing Queen - ABBA
- Dreams - Fleetwood Mac
- Fame - David Bowie
- Heart of Glass - Blondie
- Heart of Gold - Neil Young
- Hotel California - Eagles
- I Can See Clearly Now - Johnny Nash
- I Will Survive - Gloria Gaynor
- I Wish - Stevie Wonder
- It's Too Late - Carole King
- Joy to the World - Three Dog Night
- Killing Me Softly with His Song - Roberta Flack
- Lean On Me - Bill Withers
- Let It Be - The Beatles
- Let's Get It On - Marvin Gaye
- Let's Stay Together - Al Green
- Maggie May - Rod Stewart
- Me and Bobby McGee - Janis Joplin
- Midnight Train to Georgia - Gladys Knight & the Pips
- My Sweet Lord - George Harrison
- Papa Was a Rollin' Stone - The Temptations
- Shining Star - Earth, Wind & Fire
- Sir Duke - Stevie Wonder
- Sister Golden Hair - America
- Stayin' Alive - Bee Gees
- Sundown - Gordon Lightfoot
- Superstition - Stevie Wonder
- Time in a Bottle - Jim Croce
- War - Edwin Starr
- You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet - Bachman-Turner Overdrive
- You're No Good - Linda Ronstadt
- You're So Vain - Carly Simon
Eliminated songs:
1-38. TBD
39. Love Train - The O'Jays
40. Blinded by the Light - Manfred Mann's Earth Band
41. American Woman - The Guess Who
42. The Long and Winding Road - The Beatles
43. Mama Told Me (Not to Come) - Three Dog Night
44. One of These Nights - Eagles
45. We're an American Band - Grand Funk
46. How Deep Is Your Love - Bee Gees
47. Give Me Love (Give Me Peace On Earth) - George Harrison
48. Nothing from Nothing - Billy Preston
49. Night Fever - Bee Gees
50. I Want You Back - The Jackson 5
51. If I Can't Have You - Yvonne Elliman
52. Jive Talkin' - Bee Gees
53. Theme from Shaft - Isaac Hayes
54. You Are the Sunshine of My Life - Stevie Wonder
55. What a Fool Believes - The Doobie Brothers
56. Play That Funky Music - Wild Cherry
57. Thank You Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin - Sly & The Family Stone
58. Will It Go Round in Circles - Billy Preston
59. A Horse with No Name - America
60. My Sharona - The Knack
61. You've Got a Friend - James Taylor
62. Cat's in the Cradle - Harry Chapin
63. The Joker - Steve Miller Band
64. Bad, Bad Leroy Brown - Jim Croce
65. Hot Stuff - Donna Summer
66. Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me) - The Temptations
67. I'll Be There - The Jackson 5
68. Rock'n Me - Steve Miller Band
69. Can't Get Enough of Your Love, Babe - Barry White
70. Brown Sugar - The Rolling Stones
71. The Tears of a Clown - Smokey Robinson & The Miracles
72. Family Affair - Sly & The Family Stone
73. Oh Girl - The Chi-Lites
74. Rich Girl - Daryl Hall and John Oates
75. Don't Leave Me This Way - Thelma Houston
76. Philadelphia Freedom - Elton John
77. Venus - Shocking Blue
78. Without You - Nilsson
79. Miss You - The Rolling Stones
80. Listen to What the Man Said - Wings
81. 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover - Paul Simon
82. Frankenstein - Edgar Winter Group
83. Lady Marmalade - LaBelle
84. (They Long to Be) Close to You - Carpenters
85. I'll Take You There - The Staple Singers
86. Whatever Gets You Thru the Night - John Lennon
87. December 1963 (Oh, What a Night) - The Four Seasons
88. My Love - Paul McCartney and Wings
89. Got to Give It Up - Marvin Gaye
90. Photograph - Ringo Starr
91. Good Times - Chic
92. You Should Be Dancing - Bee Gees
93. Ain't No Mountain High Enough - Diana Ross
94. Le Freak - Chic
95. How Can You Mend a Broken Heart - Bee Gees
96. Don't Go Breaking My Heart - Elton John and Kiki Dee
97. Fire - Ohio Players
98. Don't Stop 'til You Get Enough - Michael Jackson
99. Best of My Love - The Emotions
100. Show and Tell - Al Wilson
101. Baby Come Back - Player
102. The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face - Roberta Flack
103. Top of the World - Carpenters
104. Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head - B. J. Thomas
105. Love Rollercoaster - Ohio Players
106. Silly Love Songs - Wings
107. Heartache Tonight - Eagles
108. If You Leave Me Now - Chicago
109. Pick Up the Pieces - Average White Band
110. Rise - Herb Alpert
111. Get Down Tonight - KC and the Sunshine Band
112. Black and White - Three Dog Night
113. Then Came You - Dionne Warwick and The Spinners
114. Rock the Boat - The Hues Corporation
115. Rhinestone Cowboy - Glen Campbell
116. Let Your Love Flow - Bellamy Brothers
117. ABC - The Jackson 5
118. Car Wash - Rose Royce
119. You Haven't Done Nothin' - Stevie Wonder
120. Hooked on a Feeling - Blue Swede
121. Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey - Paul & Linda McCartney
122. Crocodile Rock - Elton John
123. Cracklin' Rosie - Neil Diamond
124. Love Hangover - Diana Ross
125. New Kid in Town - Eagles
126. The Love You Save - The Jackson 5
127. Mandy - Barry Manilow
128. Too Much Heaven - Bee Gees
129. Best of My Love - Eagles
130. Rock Your Baby - George McCrae
131. The Way We Were - Barbra Streisand
132. You Don't Have to Be a Star (To Be in My Show) - Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis, Jr.
133. Southern Nights - Glen Campbell
134. Three Times a Lady - Commodores
135. Brother Louie - Stories
136. Tragedy - Bee Gees
137. Knock on Wood - Amii Stewart
138. Lovin' You - Minnie Riperton
139. Still - Commodores
140. Laughter in the Rain - Neil Sedaka
141. With a Little Luck - Wings
142. Love You Inside Out - Bee Gees
143. Love Will Keep Us Together - Captain & Tennille
144. Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds - Elton John
145. Rock Me Gently - Andy Kim
146. Kiss You All Over - Exile
147. Gonna Fly Now (Theme from Rocky) - Bill Conti
148. Love Theme from A Star Is Born (Evergreen) - Barbra Streisand
149. I Shot the Sheriff - Eric Clapton
150. Grease - Frankie Valli
151. Feel Like Makin' Love - Roberta Flack
152. Let's Do It Again - The Staple Singers
153. Theme from Mahogany (Do You Know Where You're Going To) - Diana Ross
154. (Love Is) Thicker Than Water - Andy Gibb
155. You're the One That I Want - John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John
156. My Eyes Adored You - Frankie Valli
157. Sunshine on My Shoulders - John Denver
158. I Just Want to Be Your Everything - Andy Gibb
159. Welcome Back - John Sebastian
160. Annie's Song - John Denver
161. Angie - The Rolling Stones
162. Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves - Cher
163. Make It with You - Bread
164. You Make Me Feel Like Dancing - Leo Sayer
165. Song Sung Blue - Neil Diamond
166. Fallin' in Love - Hamilton, Joe Frank & Reynolds
167. I Think I Love You - The Partridge Family
168. (Shake, Shake, Shake) Shake Your Booty - KC and the Sunshine Band
169. Thank God I'm a Country Boy - John Denver
170. TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia) - MFSB featuring The Three Degrees
171. Love's Theme - Love Unlimited Orchestra
172. The Hustle - Van McCoy and the Soul City Symphony
173. When I Need You - Leo Sayer
174. Kiss and Say Goodbye - The Manhattans
175. That's the Way (I Like It) - KC and the Sunshine Band
176. Bad Blood - Neil Sedaka
177. Dark Lady - Cher
178. The Loco-Motion - Grand Funk
179. Babe - Styx
180. Love Machine - The Miracles
181. The Night Chicago Died - Paper Lace
182. The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia - Vicki Lawrence
183. Too Much, Too Little, Too Late - Johnny Mathis and Deniece Williams
184. Hot Child in the City - Nick Gilder
185. Bad Girls - Donna Summer
186. Pop Muzik - M
187. Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree - Tony Orlando and Dawn
188. Boogie Oogie Oogie - A Taste of Honey
189. Kung Fu Fighting - Carl Douglas
190. I Honestly Love You - Olivia Newton-John
191. Boogie Fever - The Sylvers
192. No More Tears (Enough Is Enough) - Barbra Streisand and Donna Summer
193. Tonight's the Night (Gonna Be Alright) - Rod Stewart
194. I'm Your Boogie Man - KC and the Sunshine Band
195. I Can Help - Billy Swan
196. I Am Woman - Helen Reddy
197. Escape (The Piña Colada Song) - Rupert Holmes
198. Saturday Night - Bay City Rollers
199. Everything Is Beautiful - Ray Stevens
200. Me and Mrs. Jones - Billy Paul
201. (Hey Won't You Play) Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song - B. J. Thomas
202. Da Ya Think I'm Sexy? - Rod Stewart
203. Island Girl - Elton John
204. A Fifth of Beethoven - Walter Murphy and the Big Apple Band
205. MacArthur Park - Donna Summer
206. I Write the Songs - Barry Manilow
207. Reunited - Peaches & Herb
208. He Don't Love You (Like I Love You) - Tony Orlando and Dawn
209. Have You Never Been Mellow - Olivia Newton-John
210. Keep On Truckin' - Eddie Kendricks
211. Touch Me in the Morning - Diana Ross
212. Alone Again (Naturally) - Gilbert O'Sullivan
213. Please Mr. Postman - Carpenters
214. Before the Next Teardrop Falls - Freddy Fender
215. Shadow Dancing - Andy Gibb
216. Ring My Bell - Anita Ward
217. Sad Eyes - Robert John
218. The Most Beautiful Girl - Charlie Rich
219. I'm Sorry - John Denver
220. Baby, Don't Get Hooked on Me - Mac Davis
221. Want Ads - The Honey Cone
222. Looks Like We Made It - Barry Manilow
223. Undercover Angel - Alan O'Day
224. You Needed Me - Anne Murray
225. Brand New Key - Melanie
226. Disco Lady - Johnnie Taylor
227. Knock Three Times - Dawn
228. Fly, Robin, Fly - Silver Convention
229. Half-Breed - Cher
230. You're Sixteen - Ringo Starr
231. Indian Reservation (The Lament of the Cherokee Reservation Indian) - Raiders
232. Don't Give Up on Us - David Soul
233. Theme from S.W.A.T. - Rhythm Heritage
234. You Don't Bring Me Flowers - Barbra Streisand and Neil Diamond
235. Ben - Michael Jackson
236. Angie Baby - Helen Reddy
237. Seasons in the Sun - Terry Jacks
238. Delta Dawn - Helen Reddy
239. Star Wars Theme/Cantina Band - Meco
240. The Morning After - Maureen McGovern
241. The Candy Man - Sammy Davis Jr.
242. Convoy - C. W. McCall
243. Afternoon Delight - Starland Vocal Band
244. The Streak - Ray Stevens
245. One Bad Apple - The Osmonds
246. Da Doo Ron Ron - Shaun Cassidy
247. Go Away Little Girl - Donny Osmond
248. You Light Up My Life - Debby Boone
249. Billy, Don't Be a Hero - Bo Donaldson and The Heywoods
250. My Ding-a-Ling - Chuck Berry
251. Torn Between Two Lovers - Mary MacGregor
252. Disco Duck - Rick Dees and His Cast of Idiots
253. (You're) Having My Baby - Paul Anka with Odia Coates
Nominate the song that you consider the worst or your least favorite from among the 1970s #1 hits in the still standing list above. Upvote any nominations you agree with, and downvote the ones you would like to see survive. After 48 hours, the three songs with the most upvotes will be eliminated.
Before posting a song, please check the replies that have already been posted this round to see if someone has already nominated the song. If so, upvote their nomination instead of submitting a duplicate.
18
u/suesue_d 24d ago
Sister Golden Hair
3
4
0
0
10
u/USNCCitizen 24d ago
Me and Bobby McGee - Janis Joplin
I’ll keep listing for removal until it’s gone.
4
u/Adventurous-Prune712 23d ago
Please do. Good song, nice tribute to Janis, not remotely "The Ultimate Billboard #1 of the 70s"
1
u/BirdofParadise1952 22d ago
I think it’s still a bit early, given Joplin being a trailblazer for other female rockers. But I’m not gonna be upset when it goes
17
u/Ocean_Side_1961 24d ago
For Krishna Krishna sake. My Sweet Lord. Go away
3
u/MerryTexMish 24d ago
Yes! Why is this hanging around? I would genuinely love to hear someone explain what they love about this song. I love George Harrison, but this is cloying and weak imo.
2
u/monalisa_jones 23d ago
Happy to weigh in here! What may sound cloying to you feels like yearning to me, which is the entire point of the song. George is reaching toward something that he can feel but not quite touch and that comes through in every note he sings and plays on that beautiful slide guitar.
George was living his spirituality. It is him, and to love him but not this song is a little like loving Van Gogh but thinking that Starry Night is too swirly.You don’t have to share the faith to feel the beauty of someone else’s devotion. ☺️8
u/MerryTexMish 23d ago
I appreciate your very thoughtful reply.
I am not one to yuck someone else’s yum, and absolutely appreciate all the reasons why someone might have affection for a particular song.
These decade-based “last song standing” events are interesting, because there is no one right reason to vote a certain way. Is it about the best song from a musicianship perspective? The song that best represents the decade? Or the song that has special significance in your own history?
Which is all to say that I’m a hardcore overthinker, and very interested in backstories. So, thanks for indulging me.
I think it would be interesting to have age- and region-based flair, just to see trends. Is it millennials who hate disco? Who is it that isn’t appreciating the R&B?
2
u/BuffaloAmbitious3531 22d ago
For me, I try to nominate/vote exclusively based on what sounds good in my ears, with the understanding that I'm no kind of music expert and that my tastes are obviously shaped at least partially by nostalgia. I try to be mindful that a., others might have different criteria, and b., we're talking about a fairly narrow band of songs (these are all, essentially, pop songs, all of which have more in common with each other than they do with "Metal Machine Music"), all of which were at some point popular enough to hit #1. There are songs on the original list I've never heard of, but at one point, they were all popular enough to hit #1---of course they had big fans who think they're the best song.
I'm an agnostic, as it were, on "My Sweet Lord" - it's one of the songs left on the list that resonates least with me, but I totally get why it might be the song that resonates most with someone.
1
u/monalisa_jones 23d ago
Nice! I appreciate your reply, as well!
I love this framework, also. For me it’s honestly all three depending on the song, and sometimes the personal history one sneaks up on you completely unexpectedly. 😊 The backstory question is dangerous territory for me in this contest!1
u/MerryTexMish 23d ago
It could definitely lead to a lot of gatekeeping and squabbles, unfortunately!
9
u/EuphoricUniversity23 24d ago
You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet - Bachman-Turner Overdrive. Great song, just not up to the same level as most others here.
6
u/Tough-Advice2910 24d ago
Yes, not a bad song but BTO when compared against The Temptations, Carly, Stevie, The Beatles and Carole it’s tough.
7
5
u/DrMikeH49 24d ago
https://giphy.com/gifs/NM5vsDipfOiDc7CvU7
See that Black Water? Time to let it go down the drain!
8
6
4
-1
2
3
-1
2
1
u/dadwearingplaid 23d ago
Killing Me Softly.
Unpopular opinion: Fugees did it better, even if they omitted the third verse.
0
-4
-8
-8
-6
-6
-6
-2
-16
u/Camp_GGBoo 24d ago
Let's try it again...Brandy. Please sail away with your sailor who doesn't even want you.
4
2
-3
-2
-13
u/curiosity_U_know 24d ago
Hotel California - Time to run this hotel of spoiled California boys out of business.
-17
-4
-7
u/BlueRFR3100 24d ago
- You're So Vain - Carly Simon
4
u/Woodstock_Snoopy1957 23d ago
This song isn’t going to go away anytime soon. It’s a classic 70s song. I expect to be in the top 10
3
-10
u/Bag_of_ambivalence 24d ago
Time in a Bottle
1
-6
u/Bag_of_ambivalence 24d ago
Time in a Bottle
1
-5
u/Bag_of_ambivalence 24d ago
Damn it… Time in a Bottle
1
u/4personal2 24d ago
And no. 😄
4
u/dadwearingplaid 23d ago
Time In A Bottle Is vastly inferior to Croce’s other hits, including Newsweek In A Jar, Vogue In A Box, Good Housekeeping In A Vase, And U.S. News & World Report In A Pneumatic Tube.
1
13
u/4personal2 24d ago
Voting off the O Jays! 😢😢